


Home Again

by Peggystormborn



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-15
Updated: 2020-12-30
Packaged: 2021-03-11 00:06:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,419
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28095885
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Peggystormborn/pseuds/Peggystormborn
Summary: Sorry guys, if you've already read this on tumblr. Enough people asked me to post on ao3 so I finally thought what the hell... But THIS IS NOT PART OF MY LONG-TERM ANTHOLOGY CANON.It’s a hypothetical about what might happen if Mon-El had showed up at Jeremiah’s funeral. Canon compliant through s5 until the funeral episode.
Relationships: Kara Danvers/Mon-El
Comments: 14
Kudos: 62





	1. Chapter 1

He looks at the clock with bleary eyes. 9:15 pm. _I’ve got to stop doing this,_ he thinks. _I’ve got to get myself a damn life._

He flips his laptop shut, trying to force himself to banish thoughts about the clues he’s found, the case he’s determined to solve. 

_A life_. The word sticks in his head. _What does one of those look like again?_

_Well, I’m trying on that front. I am._

He loads up his work and slings his bag over his shoulder. Just one stop to make on the way home. 

He reaches her building’s front door just as someone is leaving, and they hold the outside door for him, a stroke of good luck. He’d figured on just sliding the card under the front door and hoping some nice neighbor would notice and drop it off at her apartment. 

Now he can do that himself. In and out, no fuss. And it’ll be waiting for her when she gets home from Midvale. 

He hopes this is appropriate. I mean it’s only been one date. What’s the etiquette for this? How do you write a condolence card that says “So sorry your father died, but I think I’d like you to be my girlfriend?”

He shakes the thought away. It’s not time for that right now. She’s grieving, you just have to be patient, she’ll let you know when she’s ready to go out again.

He hopes, anyway. 

The elevator dings and he enters the hallway, blue envelope in hand. As he approaches her apartment, he notices two things. One, that there’s light emanating from under the door. And two, that there are sounds coming from within. 

_SMASH!_ The door rattles with the impact of something fragile-sounding hitting it from the other side.

_Oh God_! he thinks. _Someone’s broken in!_

He pulls out his phone to dial the police but stops short when he hears her voice. Which is odd, since he’d expected her to be gone for days. And especially odd since the funeral services couldn’t have ended more than a few hours ago, she’d had to have driven straight back. 

Suddenly his reporter senses start tingling.

“Why are you even _here_ , Mon-El?!”

Another _SMASH_. 

“I’m here for _you_.”

William freezes. This is more than his natural reporting instinct kicking in. This is…something else altogether. He knows he should walk away…that this isn’t his business, whatever fight she’s having with… _whoever_ is in there with her. 

But he can’t make himself move…after all, she sounds more than a little upset. Maybe she needs his help?

“Bullshit,” Kara continues. “You didn’t come all the way back here just to sit in the back pew at my father’s funeral.”

“Kara, you just had something terrible happen to you,” the man’s voice said.

“Yeah, well, what else is new…”

“Look, if you want me to go, I’ll go. I just wanted to…”

“WHAT?! What do you _want,_ Mon-El?”

_Mon-El? That’s a…weird name_ … William thinks.

“To be there for you.”

“I didn’t _need_ you to.”

“Of course not, but you were there for me when my father died, and…”

“…That was different.”

“I realize that, I just…”

_SMASH_. 

“Kara…look, I’m sorry if my being here is upsetting you. I just wanted to pay my respects and make sure you were okay. But…I’ll just…get out of your hair.”

“Oh, sure, walk away. AGAIN.” William can hear his not-quite-girlfriend pacing the floor briskly. 

There’s a heavy audible sigh. “Why did you ask me to come to your apartment, Kara? I was perfectly fine to leave straight after the service. What do you want me to do?”

“I want you to STOP saying you’re sorry! You’re ALWAYS sorry.”

“…I _am_ sorry…”

Kara scoffs. “What happened to no more apologies?”

“I thought that was just about old stuff…”

“Okay, fine. Then what _new_ thing are you sorry about?”

The man sighs again, heavier than before. 

“See? You don’t even know. Just STOP it, okay? Stop apologizing when you’ve done nothing wrong. It’s exhausting.”

“Kara…”

“And while we’re at it, stop telling me things are okay when they’re not. NOTHING is okay right now, got it?”

“…Okay…”

_SMASH_. 

“Kara, you might want to think about taking it easy on the knick knacks…”

“Don’t tell me what to do!”

“Fine. What can _I_ do, then? To help you?”

Kara half-groans, half-screams “Gods, Mon-El! Don’t you know me at _all_?!”

“All right, how about I just stand here, and you can throw things at my head to your heart’s content, okay?“ 

"That’s not good enough!”

“Well, what then?”

“Just…be a _dick_ , will you?”

“Be a dick? Kara, I don't…”

“What I need right now is someone to scream at, all right? Because I can’t unload on my sister since she finally just barely got her act together in time today after saying some…deeply shitty things to me, and I certainly can’t scream at my grieving mother or J'onn, and I’m not gonna yell at Brainy or Nia, and Lena wouldn’t put up with me needing emotional support even IF she was currently talking to me, so guess what? You’re up, man.”

“Well…what do you want me to…”

“AAAARRRGGHHHH!”

“Okay, okay…um…”

“Don’t have all night here…”

“All right, fine. I don’t like the pants.”

“ _Excuse_ me?”

“I thought the skirt looked better.”

“Why, pervert, because you liked looking up it?”

“Uh, well yes, on occasion, with your consent, but no, I just mean it’s too much blue. It’s missing that pop of red. The skirt was better.”

There’s a pause, and suddenly Kara bursts into whoops of laughter. After a moment, the man joins in. 

“That’s…the first time I’ve laughed since it happened…” she says as the laugher fades. “Thank you for that.”

“Glad I could help.”

“Actually I was only laughing because that was pathetic.”

“Oh, really?” the man chuckles. 

“Yes, really. I mean come on, is this the same guy that drove me so crazy I had to stop myself from strangling you in the middle of the DEO?”

“Which time?” They both laugh again.

“I mean I guess you’re not…are you?” Kara wonders.

“Not what?”

“The same guy.”

“…No, not really. Except…maybe a little when I’m with you.”

“I suppose I’m not the same, either.”

“No?”

“Well, I guess I haven’t matured enough not to use you as a punching bag after you came all this way. So there’s that.”

“I don’t mind, really. Punch away. I have plenty of experience getting whaled on by you. Hit me if you want. Call me names. Call me a stupid thoughtless Da…”

“…Ah, ah, ah…I don’t use the D word any more. Not as a pejorative, anyway.”

“You _have_ evolved.” More laughter. 

“So have you." 

"Look, Kara, I’ll be whatever you need tonight, okay? You want to punch me in the face, metaphorically or otherwise, go ahead. You want to scream and throw things? Have at it. I’m not fragile, I can take it. And I’m no stranger to being on the receiving end of your ire, so…”

“God damn you." 

"What? What did I say?”

“I’m trying to work up some goddamed irrational anger at you, and you just keep saying all the right things! It’s…infuriating!”

“Yay?”

“Oh, I give up. When the hell did you get so terrible at making me mad at you?”

“Guess I’ve lost my touch. But I could…I dunno, break your toilet again, if you want.”

“Tempting. But…no, I need something…better than that. God, I just…I want to not think for a little while about how incredibly unfair the world is.”

“I get it.”

“Exactly! You’re the _only_ person I’ve ever had in my life who really understands me. Even Alex! She tries, but she doesn’t get what I’ve been through. Including today, when she basically told me it was my fault he died.”

“She doesn’t really think that. You know she doesn’t.”

“Doesn’t she? And I can’t even argue! It’s true! If I’d never come into their lives, everything bad that happened to him, to this family, would never have come to pass.”

“And all the people you helped, including me…”

“…Stop. Stop right there. I didn’t help you. I failed you.”

“You didn’t.”

“Yes! Everything bad that’s happened to you was because of me!”

“That’s not true.”

“Isn’t it?”

“You saved me, Kara. You _keep_ saving me, every day, no matter how far apart we are. Everything I’ve become, every person I’ve helped, EVERYTHING is because of you.”

“Shut up. Just shut up, okay? Don’t try and convince me what a hero I am right now, all right? Because that is the opposite of how I feel. Just…you know. Tell me I ruined your life. Tell me you would have been better off without me.”

“Kara, I will do whatever you need me to do tonight if it helps you in some way. But I won’t lie to you.”

“Okay, fine. Honesty, then. Brutal honesty.”

“If that’s what you want.”

“It is.”

“So…?”

“…Do you still love me?" 

"What?”

“I’m asking you. Point blank. Do. You. Still. Love. Me?”

Still listening with bated breath, William’s heart rate begins to tick up.

“You already know the answer to that.”

“Do I? We never got to finish that conversation before you left last time.”

“Kara, will it really make you feel better to talk about this?”

“I dunno, let’s find out.”

He exhales deeply. “All right. You want to hear the truth? The truth is that I will be madly in love with you every second of every day for the rest of my life. Always. And one day, when Rao’s light takes me? I’ll love you then, too.”

The silence that follows is so thick William can practically feel it radiating through the door. 

He can’t quite process all this. That this strange man is inside that apartment professing undying love to the woman he’s dating. Like it’s the most normal thing in the world. 

He really should just walk away. Quietly. He doesn’t even understand what they’re talking about. Skirt? Rao? Is Kara secretly in one of those cults or something? 

_Just turn around, put one foot in front of the other_. 

And yet…

“Are you gonna ask me?” Kara whimpers, at length. “If I still…”

“…No.”

“Why not?" 

"It wouldn’t make me feel any better, either way.”

William hears the heavy sound of what can only be her flopping down onto the couch. 

“Are we just…doomed?” she asks.

“Doomed?” Another flop and spring-creak. 

“To be alone. Forever separate, always wondering what could have been." 

"You have too much love in your heart to spend your life that way.”

“And you don’t?”

“Kara…”

“No…look. I know about…you know… _her._ J'onn told me the whole story.”

“I figured…hoped…he would.”

“Is she still…”

“…No. She’s with someone else now. She’s really happy, finally. And it was a relief, for both of us. To put the whole thing behind us.”

“Why didn’t you say anything? When you were here before?”

“Didn’t seem like the right thing to do. And…that’s how I live my life now. I always ask what you would do in any given situation. That’s the only reason I was even with her in the first place.”

“And then you came back here and I messed up your happiness.”

“I was never happy then. Not really. Neither of us were. We got stuck together to serve a greater purpose, and we tried to make the best of things but…we were just kidding ourselves." 

"I want you to be happy, you know.”

“I want that for you, too.”

“I…I have been trying. Sort of. There's…you know what, never mind.”

“…Someone else?”

“…Uh…maybe. We’ll see.”

“I…guess I shouldn’t be surprised.”

“Are you upset?”

“Kara…”

“Come on. Honesty, remember?”

“I’m…glad for you.”

“Don’t make me throw more stuff at your head.”

“What do you want me to say? That the idea of you spending your life with another guy makes me sick?”

“Does it?”

“…Yes. But…Kara, I love you enough to want you to have the life I planned to give you. Even if it’s with another man.”

“And what about you? You deserve to be happy, too.”

“…Maybe. But it’s…not that simple." 

"Mon-El, how can you sit there and try to convince me when you’ve clearly just given up on yourself?”

“… Because I already tried settling and it didn’t work for me.”

“…Settling…”

“I…shouldn’t have said that.”

“Why not?”

“It won’t be the same for you.”

Kara scoffs. “Of course you would think that.”

“What does that mean?”

“You always thought you loved me more than I loved you. You never really believed anyone could love you unconditionally…did you…”

“…You only ever said it once. And there were… extenuating circumstances.”

“Did you think I was lying?”

“No…It’s just…I never really deserved you then.”

“Oh, shut up.”

There’s silence that goes on for what feels like an eternity. 

“Okay, I didn’t mean literally…” Kara finally breaks the ice with a groan. 

“I don’t know what to say,” the man replies.

“Do you really think I would have been with someone who wasn’t worth it?”

“I had a lot of making up to do.”

“And that’s all you’ve _done_ since then.”

“For you. It was all for you.”

“No. I may have inspired you, but you were always a person who was capable of being the man you are today. You always had that in you.”

“…Thank you. For that." 

"You don’t have to thank me for telling the truth. It’s what I do.”

The man chuckles lightly. 

“Look, Kara…I spent years kidding myself. And I won’t do it again. Not to myself, and certainly not to someone else.”

“But I’m supposed to?”

“Kara…you have the biggest heart of anyone I’ve even known. I know you still care about me, but…if there’s room for someone else in there, too, then that’s all right with me. As long as you have a happy life.”

“…That I might just spend wondering, every day, if I could have had more? Been happier?”

“We don’t know that things would have worked for us. Maybe we would have eventually figured out we weren’t right for each other.”

“Is that what you tell yourself? To minimize, in your mind, what we lost?”

“Is that so terrible?”

“I don’t want to pretend what we had was less than it was.”

“We don’t know what it was. We never…”

“…You promised me honesty, Mon-El. Brutal honesty.”

“…Yeah, I’m now regretting that a little.”

“Please…”

“…Kara…I told you. What it was. What you _are_ …to me.”

William hears a sound…a fledgling whimper escape her. Even though he can’t see her, he somehow knows tears are streaming down her face. 

“Mon-El,” she says at last. “Can we just…watch TV or something?”

“Really?”

“Yeah. I’m…I can’t keep talking about this. I'm… I’m so exhausted, I need to just do something normal and mindless for a while. Can you sit here with me? Like we used to? You can brush my hair. If you want. I always loved when you did that.”

“Yeah, me too.”

William can practically hear the man smiling at her. He doesn’t know why, but this is the moment the green dragon of jealousy finally rears its head. As soon as he hears the television click on, he turns on his heel and back to the elevator. 

The card would have to wait for another day. 

********

In the morning, her phone rings. She fumbles for it from beneath her comforter, finally grasping it blindly in its spot on the night stand. 

“Hello?” She groggily answers. 

“Kara, Hi…uh, it’s William. Did I wake you?”

“Oh…uh, no it’s fine, I was just about to get up.”

“Are you still in Midvale? Because if you’re home I could stop by, I wanted to give you something.”

“…NO!” she quickly responds. “I’m…I’ll be home later today.”

“…Right…I see,” he monotones. “Well…call me then?”

“Yeah…I’ll let you know when I’m ready.”

“…Okay. Bye, Kara.”

“Bye.”

CLICK.

“Who was that?” Mon-El asks, as he lays next to her. 

“No one important,” Kara shakes her head and plunks the phone down, before nuzzling back into the warmth of his bare chest.

“I know you have other stuff going on, but I can stay here as long as you need, you know.”

“How about forever?” she jokes. “Does that fit with your schedule?”

“Well…schedules can be quite flexible when you’re a time traveler.”

“What if I…asked you for real?”

“To stay? You mean?”

“Yeah…what if I said, ‘Don’t go back, stay right here in my arms until we’re old and grey.’ Would you do it?”

“It’s a moot question.”

“Moot?”

“Yeah. You’d never ask. You wouldn’t be you if you asked.”

Kara groans. “Sometimes I hate being me. Me sucks.”

“Hey. Stop talking shit about the woman I love.”

Kara snorts a laugh. “Fine…not forever. But just a little longer. Okay?”

“ _That_ I can do…”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> William mulls what he overheard, and he and Kara have a discussion.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had absolutely no intention of continuing this, but the Kelly scene kinda just popped into my head, and everything else just went from there.
> 
> Oh also, I'm assuming Kelly knows everything even though I don't think the show has confirmed that. But I mean COME ON.

Kelly Olsen is used to this. It's been frustrating, at times, but she was aware this was the kind of thing she was signing up for when she went into psychology. It could be worse, she knows. An old friend of hers who'd become a dermatologist is constantly grappling with friends, acquaintances and the occasional random stranger pulling up their shirt or pant leg or more, just to get an on-the-spot diagnosis of what is usually dermatitis or some weird irregular mole. 

And so she sits there, smiling, and awaiting the inevitable that Monday morning, as William Dey hovers at the door to her office, obviously trying to think of a way to bring up whatever is bothering him and make it seem organic to the conversation…

"...And you wouldn't believe the size of the toast there. It was huge, like...Texas-sized. Which is so odd, because everything else in Japan seems to be miniaturized. The trash trucks are like those little matchbox cars, I mean…"

"...William?" she finally interrupts.

"...Hm?" 

"Why don't you just have a seat and tell me what's on your mind? I have a few minutes before my next meeting."

He deflates noticeably and does as instructed. "...Right…I'm sorry... it's just...it's about Kara."

"Oh?" She probably should have expected this. She'd have to tread lightly here, since Kara is understandably a very private person...and not just because she happens to be an alien superhero. 

"Is...is it okay for me to ask you about her?"

"You're welcome to ask whatever you want…but I might decline to discuss certain things. You know, considering my relationship with Alex." 

"I understand...it's just…I'm still new to town, I don't have a load of friends here...or, well, _any_ , really, outside of work...and...I've been really excited about dating Kara. She's...she's special, you know? 

_Special?_ Kelly shifts slightly in her seat. _He can't possibly know just HOW special...can he?_

"Sure, she's a wonderful person," she offers, sipping her coffee. 

"Right, she's...kind, and determined…I'm frankly amazed she's still single...or...I _was…_ "

"Was...as in past tense…"

"I, uh...I may have overheard some things I shouldn't have."

Kelly's heart rate starts to increase, but she attempts to regulate her breathing, to avoid betraying her possible future sister-in-law's confidence. She kicks herself a little for getting into this situation, after all, she could have just said she was busy and sent him on his way. Then again...if he knows something he shouldn't, it's best to find out quickly.

"What things?" she says with as casual an air as she can muster.

"I...went by her place, the day of the funeral. Or, well, that night, specifically. I just wanted to drop off a card for her, I assumed she would still be in Midvale, but...she was there...with a _man_." 

_Uh, oh..._

"A man?" Kelly says as neutrally as possible. She's pretty damn sure now that she knows exactly which man. 

"At...at first I stayed because I heard things breaking and I worried she was in trouble. But then...I...I gathered that he was her ex, and...he was helping her work through some of her anger over her father's death." 

"I see." 

"Did you meet him?" William quirks his head at Kelly. "It sounded like he showed up at the funeral unexpectedly."

"Um...just briefly, in passing. He didn't stay long." _That much is true, at least,_ she thinks to herself. But she knows soon she'll have to start lying, or at least strategically withholding.

"Did she leave with him?" 

"I didn't notice, I was kind of focused on Alex. And she and Alex...were having some issues." 

"Right...I heard her say something about that. It sounds like...there was tension? Related to their father?" 

"Um…that's...pretty personal. For them."

"Yeah...sorry, it's just...Kara seemed to blame herself, for his death...somehow. And she implied that Alex did, too…" 

"Well…"

William puts his hands up, an acknowledgement that he's aware he's broaching into none-of-his-business territory, and moves on to his real issue of concern. "And the man that was there…he knew about all of it. Which means he was close with Alex and the rest of the family...is that right?"

"Look, I don't know all the details. I never met him before that day. And they...they don't talk about him, for whatever reason. But...everyone was very happy to see him, including Alex and Eliza."

William nods dolefully. "I'm sorry, I know this is uncomfortable for you. I just...I'm not sure what to do." 

"About what?" 

"Kara." 

"Look, William, it's natural to be a little jealous that she turned to someone she has a history with for emotional support. But he isn't staying, he's going home." 

"Home where? Where is he from?" 

Kelly sighs internally. She truly hates having to be dishonest with people. 

"I don't know. He lives far away, I think he might be in the military or something. Like I said, I was focused on Alex, so I didn't pay much attention." 

"Military?" William wonders. "That makes sense. Is that why they broke up? Because he ran off to join the Army or whatever?" 

Kelly just shrugs, hoping he'll stop digging for the truth soon. Knowing him and his relentlessness in pursuit of stories, that's probably unlikely. 

"Look, Kelly, I just...I need to know if she's still in love with him." 

"William, I think you need to trust that if she accepted a date with you that she's ready to move on." 

"...I just don't want to get invested in this, only to become the guy she settles for, until he finishes whatever he's doing and comes running back." He says this with palpable bitterness. 

"That's...pretty cynical…" she marvels. She's never seen this side of him before.

"She...asked him. If he was still in love with her. And he said…" he trails off, shaking his head. 

"...What?" Kelly asks, genuinely curious. 

William's jaw ticks with noticable grumpiness, and he looks to be intentionally avoiding rolling his eyes. "...He said he'd love her forever, even after death, and wouldn't ever be with anyone else. I guess...he was in some other relationship that failed because he couldn't get over Kara. So he's not going to bother trying again." 

"...Wow. Okay…but she didn't say it back…right?"

"No, he told her he wanted her to move on, even though he couldn't. But...she said other things. That he's the only one that understands her, that she worries she'll always wonder about the life they could have had together...I mean, you know, soul mate kind of stuff. And then the next morning…" he closes his eyes and rubs his temples. 

"... William, are you all right?" Kelly worries, reaching over to lay a hand on his shoulder. 

"...She was still _with_ him…the next morning. I called her, and…I'm fairly certain he was there. I offered to stop by and...I just...he was _there_ , I _know_ he was." He balls his fist and lightly bangs it on the desk.

"Okay, William, breathe. Look, you've only been out once. She's not your girlfriend. So even if you're right, which you may or may not be, this isn't a cheating situation." 

"I know...I know it's not. But...it still hurts. And you know what? It's not even the thought that he was there in bed with her when I called. Although...okay, maybe it's a _little_ bit that, but…what chance do I _have_ , really? Against the guy who apparently understands her in ways even her own _sister_ doesn't? I mean, what is it about _him_?"

Kelly considers this, and hopes to take this opportunity to nip his curiosity in the bud, before he starts asking the wrong questions. 

"You…know that Kara's adopted, right?" This part of the Kryptonian's story, at least, has always been public knowledge.

He looks up from his funk. "She is?" 

"Her…biological parents died. When she was young. I don't know much about this guy, but I suspect…he's got some similar past trauma." 

She watches his face, sees that things-clicking-into-place look. Did it do the trick? Is that enough for him to leave things be? 

"I see…" 

"Look, William, I can't tell you what to do. About whether or not you want to pursue a relationship with Kara. But she just lost her father, for the second time in her life, and she turned to someone who she knew could help her cope with her grief. It's not a situation that's going to repeat itself, he's going to go back to wherever he lives now, and as far as I know, there aren't any plans for him to return on a permanent basis. Maybe he does love her, but I think you can be confident that he's in her past. If I were you, I would just be patient with her, keep things light for now, and trust that she'll open up to you if and when she's ready." 

He nods decisively. "You're right. I'm getting ahead of myself, overthinking all this…I'll just...I'll try not to worry about it. Thanks, Kelly." 

Kelly smiles kindly as she watches him awkwardly depart her office. After he's out of sight, her face falls, and she picks up her cell and dials Alex. 

"Hey, babe," her girlfriend says, casually. "Are you coming over after work? I am still _very_ much in the mood for comfort food." 

"Alex…where's Kara?" 

"At home, I guess. Why?" 

"Is that Mon-El guy still with her?"

"I haven't talked to her today, but I figured she would take a few days off to spend with him, so I didn't want to bother her." 

"Okay, just...she's keeping him out of sight, right?" 

"Yeah, to be honest I doubt they'll leave the apartment...why?" 

"I just mean, he's a super, too, right? And if he's here, and there's an emergency…" 

"...He might help out, if it's serious, I guess. But so what?" 

Just then, she sees one of the big screens in the next room light up with Breaking News. A ferry in the harbor struck by a wayward barge, taking on water at an alarming rate. 

"Oh, no…" she says aloud, as two figures appear on camera flying through the sky to save the day, the familiar Maiden of Might...and her sometimes partner in heroism, the unnamed man in the red suit and blue cape. 

Predictably, she hears Andrea's voice shouting to anyone in range to be present in the bullpen in the next five minutes--with pitches for stories on Supergirl's rumored boyfriend being back in town. 

"I want clicks, people!" her voice ticks up in pitch. "Who is he? Why is he back? Is it for good this time?" 

"What about the people on the ferry…" William's voice argues. "I could go get eyewitness accounts…" 

"Unless someone sees the two of them making out, I'm not interested...although...actually, Dey, scratch that. Go find those ferry people, and ask that, specifically. I want _feels,_ here, folks! Heart eyes, longing glances, if those two are screwing their super brains out, _I_ want to know about it!" 

Heart sinking, Kelly slumps back in her chair and groans. "Alex...we have a problem."

********

They wait, and worry, for a month or so, before deciding that despite his acumen as a reporter, William hasn't put the pieces together. 

After all, Lena in all her (admittedly often myopic) genius never did, nor did Lois for years, even working with Clark and writing about Superman on a near-daily basis. And besides, if the bangs weren't a giveaway, then the comings and goings of one old flame probably aren't going to lead to any epiphanies.

Still, Kara watches him for signs he knows more than he's letting on. After all…given the terrible things Lena did, and adding in whatever jealousies or feelings of jiltedness might be kicking around in his brain, it's not impossible that this could be a volatile situation. 

_Maybe I should stay away from dating other reporters_ , she thinks. 

Add to that the fact that they've been out five times now, and all he's gotten so far is a couple of goodnight kisses. Even those were little more than pecks on the lips. It's been years since she's kissed a human, and her lack of practice is a source of stress for her. At the very least, if they go any farther, she needs to come clean about being an alien. Sex with a Kryptonian is a somewhat dangerous (and limiting) prospect, and he needs to know what he's dealing with. 

Besides which...after spending a few headboard-breaking days naked in bed with the love of her life, before tearfully sending him away yet again, back to his lonely existence in the future…Kara wonders if this whole song and dance is just her kidding herself, the way Mon-El was the last time he came crashing back into her life. She knows, if she's being honest, that she's not ever going to have anything like that again here on Earth. Someone who truly understands her; mind, body and soul. It's not like another Daxamite prince is going to come crashing down right at her feet. 

_Maybe this is all just stupid. Maybe this has always been an exercise in futility for me. But...what else_ **_is_ ** _there?_

She sits there on her couch one evening…staring at a photo of Clark, and Lois, and their boys. 

Same cape. Same job. And now…dating a human, and a fellow reporter, to boot. _How did this happen? When did my life become a shadow of his? Did I ever truly believe all this would make me happy? Or was that just me trying to make the best of things, too?_

She thinks about the early days, just coming out as Supergirl. The euphoria of finally using her powers for good, for helping others. To find more meaning in her life. And getting to express her true self, too...albeit just a little, and in ways that have always been always overshadowed by a cloud of obfuscation and untruth. 

_I'll never really get to be myself here...not in my job, not as Supergirl, and certainly not in my love life. But what choice do I have? What else is there for me but trying to keep the loneliness at bay, as best I can?_

_Maybe today's news is the answer...or, part of one, anyway. She hasn't...quite processed it all yet._

His knock surprises her. They'd made plans for the weekend, but today is Wednesday. She x-rays the door, and sees him standing there with a tupperware full of brownies. As if on cue, her stomach starts rumbling. 

"Hi, Kara," he says when he opens the door. She smiles, automatically reaching first for the brownies. He doesn't lean in to kiss her, as she had expected, so she just sort of awkwardly gestures for him to come in.

"Hey," she offers, as he enters and walks straight past her, toward the couch. He doesn't take off his jacket, but still indicates that she should sit down. 

"Is...everything okay?" she asks, taking her seat.

"...We should talk," he says, his tone serious but not unfriendly. 

"Oh," Kara's brows knit together. "Actually... that's probably a good idea." She goes ahead and opens the plastic container in her hands, grabbing a square and shoving the whole thing into her mouth. 

"Right," he nods. "Um…so, first of all, I just want to say that I think you're an amazing woman. Truly. And it's been a privilege…" 

"...Wait…" she stops him with a raised hand, trying to swallow her bite of fudgy goodness. "Are you breaking up with me?" 

"No!" he blurts reflexively. "Or...well, I guess I hadn't thought that far ahead. I...I came here tonight because I have to confess something. And apologize." 

"...You mean for eavesdropping on me and my ex-boyfriend on the day of my father's funeral?" she crosses her arms over her chest and lifts one eyebrow in his direction. 

"...Kelly told you." He looks glumly at his shoes at this.

"Yeah, well, doctor patient confidentiality isn't a thing when the person you confide in isn't actually your therapist." 

"Look, I'm very sorry. I shouldn't have done it, I should have just walked away…" 

She grumbles a little, but relents. "It's okay. I mean…don't get me wrong, I really wish you hadn't invaded my privacy, but…you're only human." She huffs a quick sigh and slumps back on the couch. "Was that…all?" 

He cringes visibly and takes a deep breath. "Not...quite." 

Her gut clenches. "Well...what, then?"

"Well, I told you that Andrea made me the lead on the ferry accident story." 

"Yeah...? I mean, that was a month ago." 

"Right, but…what I didn't tell you is...she was absolutely determined to get the scoop on Supergirl and the other guy, in red…the one who occasionally shows up to help save the day." 

Kara's eyes darken, and she has to take a deep breath to keep her heat vision at bay, lest she bore through his skull literally, instead of just figuratively. "What does that have to do with me?" she monotones, her face betraying no emotion whatsoever.

He shrinks a little under her gaze, but continues. "Well, I chased every eyewitness, kept coming up with nothing. Most of the ferry-goers were just thankful to be alive, and had little to report except the same account everyone had: Supergirl freezing the hull and the other guy grabbing the anchor chain and towing them to safety. But there was one woman...I'd been anxious to talk to her, because one of the cell phone videos of the event...well, it caught her waving at the man in red." 

"So what? I've seen plenty of people waving at Supergirl before." 

"Yeah, but this woman…she whistled first, to get the man's attention...and there was a moment of recognition when she did. Like…like they _knew_ each other. Well, eventually, I tracked her down...she was a bartender at that alien place you took me to, with the karaoke." 

"William…" 

"No, look, please let me finish. It's important." 

She nods unhappily. 

"Anyway, she wouldn't talk to me. No one there would. They kicked me out. In fact, I might possibly be banned from the bar, so I hope you weren't looking forward to any date nights there any time soon." His humor falls flat, so he plows forward. "But...I knew what it meant. That this guy...he doesn't just live at a fortress somewhere like Superman. He has, or _had_ , at least...a life here. Friends, maybe family. A job, I suspect, at that bar. But that was as far as I got. And…when I told Andrea I'd hit a dead end, she went ballistic. She also wasn't happy that by then Supergirl appeared to be flying solo again. I guess she figured, Cat Grant sort of...made Supergirl into the icon she is, and she wasn't getting her money's worth from buying Catco if she couldn't at least get the scoop on Supergirl's love life. So...she told me she didn't care how long it took, that I had to pore through every second of footage we have at our disposal to see if I could pin this guy down. And my pal at the NSA, he gave me access to this advanced facial recognition software…" 

"...So...you just went ahead and invaded this guy's privacy, the same way you invaded _mine_?" She's shaking now, and she feels tears forming behind her eyes. 

"Kara, no. That's what I'm trying to tell you. I never planned to give his identity away. I only wanted to find him because I knew if I didn't, Andrea would. And at least this way...I might be able to help him protect himself..." 

Kara lets out a breath she didn't realize she'd been holding. 

"...And _you_ …" he ventures, brushing a wayward lock of hair away from her face. 

She looks up at him like a deer in headlights. "Me? I...William...I don't…" 

"Kara. It's all right. I swear to you I won't tell anyone. Not ever. I'd never forgive myself if anything bad happened to you...or anyone you... _love_...because of me." She sees him gulp at the word "love."

She looks at him for a long time, face unreadable, before finally letting the tears fall. "I'm… I'm sorry…" 

"For what?" 

"It's so exhausting, lying all the time." 

"I understand. Just like I understand that…I'm not the one for you."

"...William…it's just…it's complicated."

"I'm sure. Since…he doesn't live on Earth any more, does he?" 

"...No...well, yes, technically, just…future Earth." 

"I'm sorry...what?"

"He's a time traveler. He lives in the 31st century." 

William stares at her blankly for possibly a full minute. "Wow...guess I...didn't quite manage to figure out the _entire_ story, like I thought…" he gazes absently at her coffee table.

"How... _did_ you figure it out?" she jolts him from his moment of contemplation.

"Well, I probably should have known when you two started talking about red skirts and Rao...but in the end, I'm sorry to say it wasn't my reporting skills. It was the damn computer." 

"Brainy?" 

He tilts his head with confusion."What? No, the facial recognition software. Andrea told me to search everything, including our security footage at Catco. And to my surprise, I got a number of hits from a few years back, of a handsome man in glasses bringing his cub reporter girlfriend-- _also_ in glasses--rather absurd amounts of Chinese food." 

Kara bites her lip and chuckles through her tears. 

"You two…" he sighs, resigned. "You looked _so_ happy with him. Happier than I think I've seen you." 

"We were. But…he's a Daxamite, and…"

"...He had to leave. Because of the lead." He closes his eyes, the pieces clicking into place.

"Right. But…he ended up in the future. Got cured. Built a life there, without me, and by the time he found his way back…

"...He couldn't stay. Even though he still loves you."

"Yeah. And I...I just feel so...stuck. I…I've tried to move on. At least, I was doing okay, trying to be happy with what I had in life. And then you asked me out and...I thought maybe…" 

"...Maybe a nice guy like me is as good as it gets, for you." 

Now it's Kara's turn to cringe. "I...was trying to think of a nicer way to say that." 

"No, I get it. I do. I heard you say that...there's a side of you that even Alex doesn't understand. That she doesn't get what you've been through." 

"It's...hard to explain." 

"I'm sure, but...would you try? I'm…I'm interested."

Kara takes a heavy breath, and wipes a tear from her cheek. "Did anything ever happen to you as a child... something no one else was there for?" 

"...I suppose, yeah. I...I got lost in the woods, once. Saw a huge white stag. Must have been an albino. But...no one believed me, when I told them." 

"Okay...well...when I got here, I spent years thinking...I was the only one who remembered."

"Who remembered what?" 

"...My home. Krypton. The only living memory of the world I'd lost."

"Wait...what about your cousin?" 

"He was a baby when he left. He has no memories. Of our family, our culture…how things were there." 

"But this man...uh…"

"Mon-El...yeah. I mean, he wasn't Kryptonian, he was a Daxamite, but he'd been there. He knew my people, our ways, we even shared religious traditions. And…it was _so_ nice. After all those years, to finally…have someone _know_ me as Kara Zor-El. I'd...had to hide, for so long. It was...it was such a comfort. And... since he's been gone...it's been really hard. To go back. To…lock half of myself away all over again. I mean, I have _so_ much here, lots of people that love me, but…there's this whole side of me that's just…"

"... Alone."

She nods. "...Exactly. And now…" 

"What is it?" 

"My life just...got a lot more complicated today. I... haven't told anyone yet...well, except my sister, but…I'm…I'm pregnant." 

William's eyes go wide. "Oh my God, Kara, I'm...I'm…" he stops, bites his lip with a cringe, and facepalms. "I'm...obviously _not_ the father."

"Uh...no." Kara chuckles awkwardly. 

"What are you going to do?" 

"I...have no idea. I want to tell him, of course, but if I do...he'll come back. I know he will." 

"What's wrong with that?" 

"Because…he's _needed_ there. He's fighting...terrible things. Lives are at stake. It just…it would be selfish, wouldn't it? To drag him back here just so my child can have a father." 

"Shouldn't it be his decision?" 

"Maybe. But...then I'm forcing _him_ to live with the guilt of that choice, instead of taking it on myself." 

"Yeah, I suppose that's true. I'm…sorry."

"For what?" 

"You must...have to take _so much_ on yourself, all the time. But you shouldn't have to go through this alone." 

She clears her throat. "Speaking of...I, uh... suppose this means we're not…" 

He smiles and takes her hand. "Kara...it sounds like what you really need right now...is a friend." 

"...Thank you," she chuckles with watery eyes. "I suppose asking you to step in as surrogate Dad to a possibly superpowered alien baby might be...a _bit_ of a tall order for a new relationship, anyway." 

"For you?" he shrugs with a smirk. "Might be worth it. But… _he's_ the one you love." 

She nods, but then the dam breaks, and she covers her face as tears fall anew. 

"I'm sorry," she ekes out as he puts one arm around her. "I just keep thinking…I met this other hero, a while back. She works with my cousin sometimes. I don't know her that well, but...we talk. Occasionally. And she…she's been in love with this man, who died like a hundred years ago. She's never moved on. Never wants to love again. And…you know, she's _okay,_ she's got a job and friends and other heroes in her life, but...I can't help thinking. Is that going to be me? A century from now, am I just going to be alone, my human family long gone, haunted by the ghost of the life I might have had?"

"You're…still going to be around in a hundred years?" he marvels.

"Assuming I don't get murdered by a kryptonite-wielding assailant or whatever, then...yeah. Alex says considering my already-long lifespan and my decelerated aging on Earth…at least several hundred years." 

"You'll have your child…" he notes, trying to bring her out of her funk. 

She nods. "Yeah, that's true. Rao, I...still can't wrap my head around it. It's...equal parts wonderful and terrifying. But the idea of becoming a mom...it makes it all the more daunting to stare down the barrel of the rest of my life. I just...I feel so...lost." 

"Kara," he exhales. "Why don't you just...go be with him?" 

She looks up, dumbfounded. "What do you mean?" 

"I mean, I'm assuming you can come and go to the future whenever you want, like he did, right?"

"Well...yeah. I guess. There's timeline stuff to consider, but…he's been back a couple times." 

"Why don't you just...move to the future?" 

"I...I can't, that's crazy. My whole life is here."

"And it would still be here when you got back." 

"What?" 

"If you don't really age, then what's to stop you from going there, raising your child together in the future, then coming back together whenever the terrible evil whatsits is dealt with?"

Kara's mouth hangs open, dumbstruck. "I...I mean I couldn't…" 

He withdraws his arm and instead grasps each of her shoulders, turning her to look at him. "Kara…you deserve not to have to settle. For me, or anyone else, or for being alone, or for any life that's less than you dreamed it would be. And your child deserves a chance to know its father. This is your answer. This is how you can have it all. And your sister and everyone will still be here when you get back." 

"Oh my God…" she feels her heart pounding in her chest. Is he right? She'd been so consumed with the hopelessness of it all, so dead set on the notion that she'd always have to be the one to sacrifice...it hadn't even registered that there might be another way. Just like it hadn't really dawned on her…that the life she'd always wanted so badly was not some pipe dream, it was already within her reach…and already growing inside her. 

"William, I have to…" 

"...Talk to your sister. Yeah." He pats his knees and stands up. She follows him to the door, and he turns to embrace her before he goes. "I guess I'll...see you tomorrow, and/or in a couple of decades, then?" he jokes over her shoulder.

She laughs, giddiness beginning to overflow. "Yeah, I guess so…goodbye, William." 

"Bye, Kara." 

********

The next day at the office is busy; he looks for her, but she seems to be nowhere in sight. Nor does he have time to check in with Kelly or Nia to get any intel, before he's off on assignment, covering some political scandal at City Hall. 

He's exhausted by the end of the day, and heads towards home to file his story instead of going back across town to the office. But on the way, he gets a text message from an unknown number. 

_If you're up for a drink, meet me at the alien bar in 20 minutes._

_A Friend_

He has no inkling what this could be about, but it wouldn't be the first time some source employs cloak and dagger tactics to pass him information without revealing their identity. He heads to the bar, hoping the staff weren't really serious about him being banned. 

It's a slow night, for a Thursday, and he sees no one he recognizes, at first. Until a familiar red-head behind the bar eyes him. 

"You again? I told you you weren't welcome here," she slams down a glass she'd been drying and stares him down. He gulps and opens his mouth to protest, but he's interrupted.

"It's okay, Rhonda, he's a friend," a male voice from behind pipes in. "And…would you mind grabbing us a couple of beers?"

Rhonda nods gruffly and heads towards the taps, to fill two pint glasses. 

William turns around and meets a pair of grey eyes, though the man wearing them isn't decked out in red and blue, he's dressed down in jeans and a black henley. "I hear tell you were looking for me," the man says, gesturing towards the nearest set of bar stools. 

William nods, and robotically sits. "I...I _was_...but…"

"...Well, if you want the scoop on Supergirl and Valor, I might be your guy." 

"Valor?" 

"I...I didn't make it up, it's just...a nickname from the future, that kinda stuck."

"It's not bad as nicknames go, I'd say."

Mon-El nods. "I, uh...figured I owed you a beer, at the very least." 

"So...she did go...and you're both back now?"

"Yeah. Thank you, truly, for convincing her to come. And I don't just mean for me. Having her there with us, fighting with us...it made all the difference. A lot of people are alive that wouldn't be without her there." 

"I just…wanted her to be happy," he shrugs, but feels his heart welling. "Where is she?" 

"She was anxious to introduce the kids to Aunt Alex and Papa J'onn and, well, everyone. But…I've been looking forward to meeting you for a long time." 

"Really?" 

"I have my family because of you. I, uh, owe you a hell of a lot more than just this beer, but I figured I should start somewhere." 

"No, it's…it's fine. I'm glad it worked out, and...you don't owe me anything." 

"Okay. But, uh…a little birdie told me you're new to the city and haven't made a lot of friends yet, so…any time you want to grab a drink or, uh, I dunno, check out a baseball game or whatever, feel free to give me a call."

"Thanks. Actually... there's one thing you can do for me." 

"What's that?" 

"My boss is on a bit of a rampage for details about Supergirl and the nature of her relationship with, um... _Valor. Care_ to comment?" 

Mon-El chuckles, his smile wide. "Okay, but, uh, if you start me talking about all the reasons I love my wife, we might be here a while." 

William shrugs and smiles back. "I have nowhere else to be, friend."

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay I know it's a bit like my other series. 
> 
> It's just one of those things that drives me crazy in the logic of the show. Why the hell doesn't he just go to the future, beat brainiac or whatever, then return to the day after he left? It's TIME TRAVEL. 
> 
> But I guess it's less dumb than Kara sending him in a pod to escape the lead instead of sending him to BARRY ffs.
> 
> And yes I'm aware this is my 4th pregnancy reveal fic. Sue me. I needed to give Kara a push to convince her that her "I always have to sacrifice my happiness" thing is stupid.


End file.
